This year’s show house at <a href="http://westcoastgreen.com/">West Coast Green</a> addresses the changing needs of modern-day family life in a compromised economy. Designed as a backyard cottage, the ‘<a href="http://www.inspiredinlaw.com/">Inspired In-Law</a>’ <a href="http://inhabitat.com/prefab-housing/">modular</a>, factory-built, one-bedroom unit supports senior independence, while encouraging multiple generations to live comfortably together. <a href="http://www.larsonshoresarch.com/index.html">Larson + Shores Architects, Inc.</a> designed the modular home and <a href="http://www.ecooffsite.com/">Eco Offsite</a> built and funded the project, which minimizes energy costs with natural day lighting and high-efficiency windows, appliances and insulation. The home can be ordered pre-assembled or as a set of construction drawings that can be assembled by a contractor or even the inhabitants themselves. Read on for an exclusive look inside!

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

The ‘Inspired In Law’ concept, also known as <a href="http://www.larsonshoresarch.com/asap.html">ASAP</a>, ‘architectural solutions for the aging population’, focuses on avoiding costs of assisted living, while increasing safety with sustainable, accessible, and adaptable living spaces.

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

We were amused by the gorgeous waterfront Fort Mason views out each window, and inspired by the affordable, sustainable, off-the-shelf materials utilized throughout.

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

Some of our favorites include recycled glass tiles from <a href="http://www.hakatai.com/">Hakatai</a>, which are composed of waste glass sourced from approximately 90% post-consumer bottles and 10% pre-consumer material. The steel and enamel <a href="http://www.kaldewei.com/steel-enamel/">Kaldewei</a> shower pan was also an affordable, resilient option, avoiding the use of vinyl or fiberglass.

The bonus of added <a href="http://rainwaterhog.com/">Water Hogs</a> garnered a lot of attention as people saw firsthand how reclaimed water from the tiny structure’s roof could nourish plants without ANY municipal water.

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

The Smart LED lights by <a href="http://creelighting.com/">Cree Lighting</a> use just 10.5 watts and are listed as the highest luminaire efficiency of any Energy Star residential lighting product. Cabinetry by <a href="http://www.studiomarler.com/">Studio Marler</a> provided a low-VOC, recycled content wood option from managed forests with no added urea-formaldehyde. It’s worth noting that all the of structural wood members of the prefab home were <a href="http://www.fsc.org/">FSC</a> certified.

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

Modular Inspired In-Law units vary in price by location, but typically range from $50,000 to $80,000, depending on model and features selected. For more information about the Inspired In Law cottages, you can contact architect <a href="http://www.larsonshoresarch.com/about-carrie-shores.html">Carrie Shores</a>.

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Inspired In Law House by Larson + Shores Architects

This year’s show house at West Coast Green addresses the changing needs of modern-day family life in a compromised economy. Designed as a backyard cottage, the ‘Inspired In-Law’ modular, factory-built, one-bedroom unit supports senior independence, while encouraging multiple generations to live comfortably together. Larson + Shores Architects, Inc. designed the modular home and Eco Offsite built and funded the project, which minimizes energy costs with natural day lighting and high-efficiency windows, appliances and insulation. The home can be ordered pre-assembled or as a set of construction drawings that can be assembled by a contractor or even the inhabitants themselves. Read on for an exclusive look inside!